Product Information

Publisher's Description

Ravi Zacharias was born in India and has literally moved from the East to the West and the West to the East and repeated the cycle again and again to answer skeptics questions about whether God is alive, who Jesus is, what is truth, and whether we can really find absolutes. Ravi has spoken of his own journey only in bits and pieces in his other books and talks. It is a journey that has led him beyond his family and culture into a revelation that replaced pantheism with monotheism, and into a relationship with a God the vast majority of his people do not worship. From this new understanding birthed in him by the founder of Christianity, Ravi has gone forward to teach as one of our generations great apologists. A life lived in Christ is the greatest argument of all for the living God. Ravi urges the reader to look at the lives that have turned the hearts of people into movements for Christ. In the first three centuries of the church, the Apostles and followers like Polycarp and Tertullian and Origen demonstrated with their lives the truth of the resurrected Christ. A whole line of witnesses from every generation succeeded these who walked in the footsteps of Jesus, with names like Augustine, Catherine of Sienna, Bernard of Clairvaux, Luther, and Wesley leading the procession. But history begins on an individual level. Ravi shows readers his life, in its successes and failures, in its existence in the East and in the West, and in his attempts to bring the truth of Christ to those in any culture who dont know him. The Hebrew poet has said that a life rich in experiences is a life from which others can learn. This book is about Ravis journey, from meaninglessness to the abundant joy of Christ, from East to West and back again, in the all-consuming passion of letting the world know about true freedom, and in whom that freedom is found.

Author Bio

Ravi Zacharias is President and Founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Their global outreach grew from humble roots in 1984 and includes fielding a team of itinerant speakers who operate from offices located around the world including the U.S., the UK, Romania, the Middle East, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada. The Hallmark of Ravis heart is his strong evangelistic and apologetic that manifests itself from a position of compassion.

R.S.B. Sawyer is a writer whose work has appeared in HarperOnes Best Christian Writing Series. He and his wife, Joy Roulier Sawyer, live in Denver, where they are active in the Lighthouse Writers Workshop community. Their editing work together has earned awards from the Associated Church Press and the Catholic Press Association.

ChristianBookPreviews.com

In Walking from East to West, Ravi Zacharias gives readers a glimpse into his life, focusing on his years growing up in India and what God used to ultimately shape him into a worldwide evangelist.
There is humble heartbreak expressed throughout the book, as Zacharias explains his tumultuous relationship with his father, who early on labeled him a failure. His sense of hopelessness and despair eventually led him to attempt suicide, and through that, the truth of Gods Word was able to penetrate his heart. Zacharias provides a balanced view of his childhood, never blaming his father for the abuse, instead carefully revealing insight into the family situation and how the Lord eventually changed Zacharias and later, his father. He describes God as being in the shadows of his life, never absent, but simply waiting on His perfect timing to bring Ravi into the family of God.
The book is broken into two major sections: his early years in India and re-establishing in Canada. There is a third part, which is more of an epilogue, where Ravi describes his trips back to his homeland and what it means to him looking back. The story that Zacharias weaves of his past is mesmerizing, threading together anecdotes, parables, and history into a fine narrative worth reading on its own. On top of that, he entwines his own grasp of Eastern thinking and culture, in a way that Westerners can understand. One example is how the framework of ancestors is critical to the identity of Indians, and how that affects their society today. Readers will also get a foretaste into Zacharias ability to reason with skeptics, and know that it comes from his own beginnings as a questioner of life. He also reveals the thinkers and theologians who influenced his faith, without going into the doctrines themselves.
This is not a typical leader-of-the-faith autobiography. Instead, Zacharias shows how the Lord uses the humble and weak to bring about His purposes. Even if readers know nothing about the man and his ministry, they will be uplifted and encouraged to pursue God with whole hearts. -- Anne Walker, Christian Book Previews.com

The book was a good read, not too long, with chapters was spread out well and it was an engaging read.

It first talks about the author's childhood and living standards in India. Also, how he grew up in a nominal Christian family, faithfully attending services but not pious.

It further explores his relationship with his dad (who he is quick not to blame), his mum and his grandmother, his education while he was young, his own struggle with his own loneliness which culminated in a suicide attempt. One surprising fact was that Ravi Zacharias was a rather good cricket player and still is excited about this sport.

One verse that was stuck with him whist on bed recovering from his suicide attempt was John 14:19b "Because I live, you also will live". Which nearing the end of the book gives a surprise about the significance of this verse in his own (family) life.

After conversion, Ravi was deeply influenced by YFC and also was exposed to preaching, which in the future would be his full-time vocation: A itinerant preacher and apologist.

Hereafter Ravi talks about his life as one training to be a hotel manager, and the family's transit to Canada and how he met Margie (his future wife) and also how he was slowly used by God in his preaching, within Canada and in other parts of the world.

What I personally felt the book was highlighting was how God was working behind the scenes in his life, God has indeed plan all things in his life to make him who he is today.

Second, I've seen how passionate Ravi is for the Indians, how he longs for all to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Many times he shares about how he longs to be able to go back to India frequently and see more of them come to know and believe in Jesus Christ.

This is the first book I have read of Ravi Zacharias'. I think it was a nice place to start (his bio) considering I have seen many books of his that I plan to read now. Ravi describes the atmosphere of India so well and you get such amazing pictures in your mind and a feeling of "being there" in a sense. There are a few stories in this book that are just incredible! The things that happened & how they happened are such great examples of God's work in our lives and His love for us. These are the stories that really captivated me and strengthened my faith. I think when you read the book you will know which amazing stories I am referring to. I loved how it also contained a wide array of stories about people from different walks of life and/or from cultures with their own religions who then come to Christ, or admit that Jesus is truly the answer. Highly recommend this book.